Analysis of Railway Signalling Systems to Increase Line and Node Capacity

"Europe is one of the most urbanized continents on the planet: about 75% of its population lives in urban areas” (European Enviroment Agency, 2017). In this urban context, the car is still the widely used way of transport, while public transport manages to capture residual segments of the demand for mobility. However, in a structural framework of obvious concern and criticality for public transport, there is a component of the sector in strong expansion, that is, all rail transports. In addition, the incidence of rail transport is even more significant in large metropolitan systems where daily travel reaches its highest levels of expression. It is known, however, that the supply of transport services is limited by the capacity of the transport system which depends on the physical size of the infrastructure, that is, the capacity of the infrastructure, the number of vehicles, the capacity of the vehicle fleet, the operating time and the traffic regime implemented

The Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway: A Situational Analysis of Human Resources Needs

This report examines human resource and skills issues pertaining to the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor over the short- to medium-term (within the next five years). Based on information gathered through interviews with industry representatives and labour market data analysis, the report identifies common and inter-related challenges across the Gateway sectors (construction, air, marine, road and rail transportation, supply chain and multimodal transportation, and border security). Despite the economic downturn, there may be shortages of skilled labour in certain occupations. The report presents strategies being implemented by companies and industry associations to address human resource and skills challenges, and identifies existing gaps.Construction, transportation, border security, skills, human resources, labour market, human capital, recruitment, skilled workers, training, standards

Control of Energy Storage

Energy storage can provide numerous beneficial services and cost savings within the electricity grid, especially when facing future challenges like renewable and electric vehicle (EV) integration. Public bodies, private companies and individuals are deploying storage facilities for several purposes, including arbitrage, grid support, renewable generation, and demand-side management. Storage deployment can therefore yield benefits like reduced frequency fluctuation, better asset utilisation and more predictable power profiles. Such uses of energy storage can reduce the cost of energy, reduce the strain on the grid, reduce the environmental impact of energy use, and prepare the network for future challenges. This Special Issue of Energies explore the latest developments in the control of energy storage in support of the wider energy network, and focus on the control of storage rather than the storage technology itself